Chapter 104
Sia openly sniffed around, searching for the source of the scent. Without much thought, Nox pointed to his shoulder and answered,
“It’s nothing serious. Just a scratch…”
Nox, who had been speaking casually, was unable to finish his explanation as Sia cut in.
“You’re injured?”
“…Ah, y-yes.”
“Let me see!”
Startled, Sia instantly pulled apart his jacket and shirt. He always took them off himself, but being undressed by Sia somehow made him feel shy. With his face turning red, he stared at her blankly.
After checking the wound, Sia’s eyes widened as if they might tear, and she shouted,
“Marie, call the physician immediately!”
“Yes, Madam!”
Sia rarely raised her voice. Startled, Marie quickly left the room. Marie wasn’t the only one surprised by her reaction. Nox also looked flustered and tried to explain,
“This doesn’t even count as a wound. So there’s no need to call the physician…”
“How is this not a wound?! You didn’t even treat it properly, it’s oozing!”
Frustrated, Sia snapped at him. Perhaps it was because she knew he had rushed back in this condition because of her.
“Stay still.”
“Sia?”
Thinking this was no time for hesitation, she stood up abruptly. Nox reflexively tried to grab her, but he failed. Watching Sia move with unusual quickness, he could only stare, his mouth slightly open.
Sia returned from the bathroom with water and a towel and began taking off his jacket and shirt entirely.
“Ah, Sia…”
“I said, stay still.”
“…Okay……”
He was flustered, yet the unfamiliar feeling left him unable to collect himself. Even Cedric had never made a fuss over an injury like this. When you fought on the battlefield, such things happened all the time, they were simply treated quietly and left at that.
But Sia was examining him carefully with a distressed expression, as if she had discovered a serious illness. His chest stirred. His heart pounded heavily, making his blood surge through his entire body.
He had already fallen for Sia, yet his heart protested as if it could fall even deeper. He forced strength into his stinging eyes. He couldn’t show tears in such an unsightly way.
“Can you lift your arm?”
“…Yes.”
“I’ll take the jacket off, so don’t move.”
“…Okay…”
He obediently did as she said. Removing it so gently he barely felt the contact, Sia slipped the jacket off and tossed it onto the floor, then quickly removed his shirt as well. The shirt disappeared before he even realized it had been taken off.
After moving his exposed upper body this way and that to examine him carefully, Sia let out a soft sigh.
“At least there’s only one wound. I guess that’s something to be grateful for…”
Muttering to herself, she immediately soaked the towel in water and gently wiped the injured area. Watching her quietly, Nox felt awkward and tried to stop her.
“The physician will come anyway. It’s fine, Sia.”
“How is this fine!”
Sia snapped loudly again and gave him a look that clearly said, ‘Zip it.’ Nox, who had been about to speak, quietly shut it.
Sia, for her part, was deeply upset. To her eyes, this was by no means a small wound. The torn area of skin looked to be around twenty centimeters long. Fortunately, it didn’t seem deep, but it had been oozing quite a bit.
“…Seriously, why did you come back without even getting treatment? How long would it have taken to treat this?”
Her grumbling voice was filled with worry, and Nox pressed his lips together, afraid he might start smiling.
As she gently dabbed at the wound, Sia continued to scold him.
“You have to know how to take care of your own body. Do you think people will recognize your sacrifice? They only pretend to care in front of you. Behind your back, they don’t care at all.”
“…Is that so?”
“Of course. Humans are like that. When they’re in a crisis, they take care of themselves first.”
Thinking of the things she had experienced so far, Sia kept grumbling, then noticed the contradiction in her own words.
“…Well, beastkin are probably the same.”
“Haha…”
“What are you laughing for?”
“…Mm, sorry…”
Even as he apologized, Nox couldn’t stop smiling. His gold and blue eyes sparkled as he looked at Sia. So many emotions were already overflowing inside them that they could hardly be concealed. At this moment, he was simply too happy.
Discussion
0 CommentsReactions
No comments yet.